Golf club rack



Dec. 17, 1935.

' A. SMITH GOLF CLUB RACK Filed Sept. 20, 1934 rirllvilrl ll I '15 I g-rvuc/wto o light in weight so that the desired number of Patented Dec. 17,

I UNITED STATES PATENT} orncs GOLF CLUB 1240K Anthony Smith, Syracuse, N. y. Annuuuon sem ber 20, 934. Serial no. maze 80laims: (Cl. ISO-1.5)

club carrying means of this character which is exceedingly simple in construction and which also includes means whereby the clubs may be supported in an upright position when the player has removed one club from the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rack structure of this character which also supports awnumber of golf balls and tees which may bereadily removed for use in playing the game of' golf.

A further object of this invention is to provide a structure of this kind which is exceedingly clubs may be carried together with other paraphernalia used in the playing of the game.

The above'and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be descrlbed and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a device constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view partly in section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3. ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally an upper plate and the numeral I I designates generally a lower plate forming part of a rack structure for holding golf clubs, generally designated as C. The plates I 0 and II are held in spaced apart relation by means of a spacing bar I2, which may be either welded or otherwise attached to the confronting faces of the plates I0 and II. These plates I0 and II are substantially alike and each plate is provided with a plurality of outwardly opening notches or slots I2 adapted to loosely receive therein shafts of the golf clubs 0' with the head ofthe club 0 abovethe upper plate I 0. The plates Ill and II on the lower side thereof each have clamping devices for releasably holding the clubs C in the slots I2, and these clamping devices are con structed in the form of clamping arms I4 which are integral with each other, being formed from a single sheet of relativelyyieldable material and having flared and spaced apart outer portions III to facilitate the insertion of the shaft of the club 0 therein. v

The inner or base portion I8 of each clamp It has secured thereto a base plate II which in turn is fastened as by welding or other suitable fastening means to the under side. of the plate I0.

The club clamping means on the p'late I I are also 6 fastened on the under or lower side of the plate I i. The clamping members I4 are also tensioned by means of spring members I8 engaging the outer sides of the clamping members I4 and securedas by soldering, welding or the like, to 10 the inner stem portion I6 of .the clamping members |4. There are as many slots I2 and clamping members I4 in the plates I0 and Ii as are deemed necessary to secure the desired number of golf clubs to the rack structure. It will, therefore, be understood'that I do. not wish to be limited to any number of slots I 2 and clamping members I4, as the number may be varied with the size of the plates I 0 and I i and the desires of the user of the device. The plates I0 and II are also held in spaced apart relation by means of a pair of bracing members or rods l9 which are secured at one end to the under side of the plate It and at the other end to the upper side of the plate I I as by welding, riveting or any other suitable fastening means. Preferably, the rods or bracing members I9 have their central portion 20 disposed outwardly of the edges of the plates I0 and II,

and a tubular tee holding member 2I is secured the tube 2 I, this tube 2i is provided with a pair of tee holding members 22 which are of a yleldable construction and preferably are formed by striking the members 22 from the tube 2| and forcing the material inwardly so as to engage the shanks 23 of the lowermost tee in the tube 2!. If desired, there may be a tee holding member 22 at the lower and also at the upper end of the tube 2|. The tees are removed from the tube 2| by pulling the s'haft'23 thereof of the lowermost tee downwardly. A golf ball supporting means is provided in the rack structure herein disclosed by mounting a tube 24 between the plates IE and II preferably at tl'e point opposite from the tee holding member I. form of the tube. 24 is also provided with a plurality of elongated slots 25 so that the number of balls B in the tube 24 may be readily seen. Preferably the lower plate I I has an opening 26 therethrough large enough for the balls B to pass therethrough and the balls B are releasably held in the tube 24 by means of a spring clip or holding member 21 which projects below the plate II so that a portion of the lowermost ball B will project through the hole 26. This clip 21 has the lower This golf ball supporting means in the 60 end thereof bent backwardly a slight degree so that it may be grasped by a finger to swing the clip 21 into a position for releasing one or more This standard 80 has a reduced point or ground piercing member 3] at its lower end and the standard 30 is preferably of a length such as to hold the entire rack structure with the clubs mounted thereon a slight distance above the surfaceof the ground. When the post or standard 30 is not in use, it may be detachably held in the rack structure by disposing the post 30 through an opening 32 in the lower plate I i and threading the stud 29 into a nut 33 carried by the under side of the upper plate iii. When the post or standard 30 is in this position, the lower end or point at will be shorter than the lengths of the clubs disposed in the rack so that the supporting standard or post 3i will not interfere with the carrying of the clubs.

The upper plate it has a loop 86 secured thereto and the lower plate if has a loop 35 secured.

thereto, and a carrying strap 36 engages these loops 3d and 35, so that the device may be conveniently carried over the shoulder of the player or may be carried in the hand, if desired. by either grasping the strap 36 or grasping the tee holding tube 2!, which may be construed as a relatively rigid handle.

When the rack structure is resting on the ground, the upper plate it) may be supported upwardly from the ground by means of legs 31 carrled by one edge of the plate i9. and secured thereto as by welding or any other suitable fastening means.

in the use of the rack hereinbefore described, the shaft of the club C is engaged with the clamping members iii of the upper and lower plates it) and ii, respectively, with the head of the club C above the upper plate ill and the handles extending down below the lower plate ii. The device.

with the clubs C therein may be carried either in the hand or over the shoulder by the strap 86, and when the player desires to remove a club from the rack for use in playing the game of golf, the club may be pulled out of the slot i 2 and the rack with the remaining clubs therein may be supported in an upright position by projecting the point 3i into the ground, it being understood that the standard or post 30 has the threaded stud 29 in the socket or opening 28 of the bar 62. Balls may be removed from the container 24 by pressing the 'clip or yieldable holding member 21 outwardly, and a tee may be removed from the tee holding member 2| by pulling the stem portion 23 of the tee downwardly from the lower end of the tee container 2 l. After the lowermost tee has been pulled out of the container 2 i, the next succeeding tee will drop downwardly and will be held with the stem portion thereof projecting below the bottom of the container 2l for use when desired. The rack structure hereinbefore described also includes a clamp or spring pressed member, generally designated as 38, which is secured to the ball container 24 and which includes a card clamp 39 for holding a score card and a pencil clamp 40 for releasably holding the pencil used in scoring the strokes made in the playing of the game.

The device hereinbefore described may be constructed out of relatively light material and due to the relatively small number of parts comprising 5 the device, it may not only be constructed cheaply but constructed very lightly, so that a considerable number of clubs may be carried without inconveniencing the player on account of the weight of the device as is the case in leather or other golf 1 bags at present in use which hold a number of clubs, balls and other material.

The rack hereinbefore described also has a clip or spring pressed member 4| secured to the lower plate ii for holding a towel 42.

What is claimed is:-

l. A golf club rack, comprising upper and lowor plate members each having a plurality of marginal notches therein to loosely receive the shafts of golf clubs, .means for holding the plate members in spaced apart relation, said means including a hollow member having communication through one of said plate members, said hollow member receiving golf balls therein, means for releasably holding golf balls in said hollow member, :5 a second hollow member, and means for supporting said second hollow member between the plate members, said latter means coacting with said first hollow member in maintaining said plate members in spaced apart relation and also maintaming said second hollow member in offset rela tion to said plate members. said second hollow member constituting a handle.

A golf club rack comprising upper and lower plate members, each having a plurality of marginal notches therein to loosely receive the shafts of golf clubs, means for holding the plate members in spaced apart relation, said means including a hollow member having communication through one of said plate members, yieldable means carried by at least one plate member for clamping the shafts of golf clubs in said notches, said hollow member receiving golf balls therein, means for releasably holding golf balls in said hollow member. a second hollow member, and means for supporting said second hollow member between the plate members, said latter means coacting with said first hollow member in maintaining said plate members in spaced apart relation and also maintaining said second hollow membar in offset relation to said plate members, said second hollow member constituting a handle.

3. A golf club rack comprising upper and lower plate members, each having a plurality of marginal notches therein to loosely receive the shafts 5 of golf clubs, means for holding the plate members in spaced apart relation, said means including a hollow member having communication through one of said plate members, yieldable shaft holding means secured to each plate for holding the shafts go of golf clubs in said notches, said hollow member receiving golf balls therein, means for releasably holding golf balls in said hollow member, a second hollow member, and means for supporting said second hollow member between the plate members, said latter means coacting with said first hollow member in maintaining said plate members in spaced apart relation and also maintaining said second hollow member in offset relation to'said plate members, said second hollow mem- 7 ber constituting a handle.

ANTHONY SMITH. 

